Taro (Colocasia esculenta) Starch as Hablon Stiffener

Abstract

This research investigates the application of taro starch (Colocasia esculenta) as a stiffening agent for hablon, a traditional woven fabric from the Philippines. The abundance of natural resources such as Taro (Colocasia esculenta) can be a good source of stiffening agent for Hablon fabric. This developmental-experimental study aimed to determine the acceptability of Taro Starch as Hablon Stiffener in terms of appearance, durability, effectiveness, texture, and general acceptability. Five (5) fabric samples were applied with the starch of different amount and time of soaking. The Five-Point Likert Scale and the Nine-Point Hedonic Scale were used to determine the level of acceptability of its characteristics. 5 dressmakers, 6 Hablon weavers, and 4 technical experts from Miagao were purposively selected to evaluate the samples. The results revealed that in terms of appearance, the color of the fabric remained the same. Its durability showed that fabric remained stiff. The starch showed an effective potential preventing the fabric from ravelling. Its texture was rigid, and its general acceptability was found well-accepted bythe respondents. It was clear that Taro starch can be used as a natural stiffening agent as it increased the strength and the condition of the fabric.